Tunisia, Sahara

The Sahara Festival in Douz, Tunisia, which goes back to the year 1910, lasted four days. It started as the "Festival of Camels" of the local Mherazig Berber tribes. Starting in 1967, it became the most important festival in North Africa, far beyond the borders of Tunisia. For the ceremonial inauguration the bedouins ride along the grandstand, lauded by the audience, among which there are only a few tourists. The marathon of the Méhari, the noble white race camels, is one of the highlights of this event. For more than 42 kilometres of desert track the animals demonstrate their strength and endurance. Nowadays, the desert festival shall mainly be a contribution to maintain the traditions of the saharan people. Therefore, there are not only spectacular horsemen games, dromedary fights and greyhound races, but also performances put on by folk groups with dances, scenes and ceremonies from the nomadic life.